Big Bill, an accomplished author whose work includes a brilliant poetry book entitled “The Poetic Works of William Smith.” Big Bill, Big Bill, Big Bill … His endeavours and accomplishments are simply endless, and we haven’t even touched upon his stardom as a Hollywood celebrity, as a professional character actor, whose career spans eight very long decades. Big Bill, the last of the Marlboro Men from the Marlboro advertising commercials of the 1970s. Big Bill, a black belt in Martial Arts who studied kung fu, and Kenpō karate with famed masters, Jimmy Woo and Ed Parker. Big Bill, the man who turned down the role of Tarzan at MGM. He even competed at Mammoth Mountain as a downhill skier and was recorded to have thrown the discus 151 feet (46m) at a time when the top Amateur Athletic Union record distance was 150.6 feet.īig Bill fought California wildfires as a young man, and worked as a lifeguard and trainer at “Hollywood Gym”. Just his stories of interrogation assignments with captured Russian MIG pilots off North Korea would make a fascinating book in itself, but Bill’s life achievements and journeys would be more suited as a volume, or series of books.Ī Light-Heavyweight amateur boxer in the Air Force with a 31-1 record, Bill also played semi-pro football in Germany, performed superior physical feats like 5100 continuous sit-ups over a five-hour period and won contests at muscle beach that included him executing 35 inverted handstand dips. But Bill was never average, and you can argue that he could be one of the most interesting (and fascinating) icons the world has had in modern times. Aside from speaking fluently in Russian, and several other languages, including German, French, and Serbo-Croatian, Bill obtained a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness, held multiple records that included a record for reverse-curling his own weight, and has had the honour of being a multiple Arm-Wrestling Champion in California.įor the average person, this assortment of accomplishments would be impressive as it stands. A true patriot who served in the United States Air Force and National Security Agency, Bill flew on secret missions during the Korean War, and graduated UCLA Cum Laude, where incidentally he held a Master’s Degree in Russian, and as a professor, taught Russian language studies. King of Biker Filmsīill, as he is affectionately called by his friends and family, is a man of many traits and talents. He has prepared this article for us featuring portions from his 168-page upcoming biography, The Words and Images of a Hollywood Legend: William Smith. Due to high proficiency in fighting and due to his ability to perform some crazy tricks on his own, William Smith won the hearts of many fans and even now, at 83, he possesses the image of an acting fighter.When you think of motorcycle films, many riders would mention Steve McQueen or Marlon Brando, but American freelance writer Joe Zimmerman says the real “king of biker films” is actor William Smith, now aged 86. We can’t but admit that this talent and significant achievements in martial arts greatly influenced actor’s career. The actor was so excited about it that it’s hard to distinguish whether he is an actor or a fighter. Karate and kung fu were an essential part of William’s life. This passion lasted for several years.įootball and motoracing complement his sport fame and once more prove that a person can be talented not only in one sphere. What is more, in order to be strong and to be able to perform tricks, William once started learning martial arts. In addition to this impressive list, William Smith won 31 boxing matches and lost only one. Smith established a record for reverse-curling weight of a bit less than his own body weight.īut don’t think that that’s all. Besides, multiple times the actor became the winner of weightlifting competitions. There he impressed the audience with his 18,5″ biceps. He won global arm-wrestling competitions for many times. Smith is not only a brilliant actor, but also a successful sportsman. Throughout all his life, the actor was an active sportsman and was deeply engaged into various competitions. Today, William Smith is 83, but he is still in a great body shape. His first role William got at the age of eight – he became The Ghost of Frankenstein little star. He starred in nearly 300 projects in both films and TV project. William Smith is not the one who gained his popularity just after his first role.
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